


You Make Me Strong

by justyrae



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Boxing, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst, Blow Jobs, Frottage, Hand Jobs, Jealousy, Kissing, M/M, Minor Character Death, Minor Violence, Semi-Public Sex, Strip Tease
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-19
Updated: 2014-01-19
Packaged: 2018-01-09 08:01:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1143522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justyrae/pseuds/justyrae
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Liam's a pro-boxer, Zayn is his trainer and it turns out Liam has a jealous streak.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Make Me Strong

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by [this](http://dunkalou.tumblr.com/post/72725944883/au-liam-payne-is-a-champion-boxer-all-thanks-to)
> 
> title from 'Strong' by One Direction

"How did you get started in the boxing profession?"

Liam chuckled at the question, he'd answered it hundreds of times before so he knew exactly how he was going to start.

"Well, when I was young I got beat up a lot. I was a skinny lad, though you'd never believe it looking at me now, eh?"

The interviewer chuckled and Liam sat back, taking a deep breath before he continued.

"I had a strange urge to prove myself. My dad left when I was a baby and I guess that never really sat well with me." Liam scratched the back of his neck and his eyes traveled to where Zayn was sitting, behind the interviewer past the bright lights that were shining on Liam.

"One day, when I was limping home after a particularly rough fight – 4 against 1, that was – this older bloke took me in and cleaned me up. Turns out he owned the local boxing hall, and he was the first person who really took a chance on me."

"You're referring to Isaac O'Neil, right?" Liam looked up at the interviewer and smiled faintly.

"Yeah. My first trainer." Liam chuckled. "The first guy who stuck around after beating the crap out of me."

Niall stifled a laugh and Liam's eyes flickered to where he was standing behind Zayn. Niall's hand was firmly clamped over his mouth while Zayn looked up at him disapprovingly. He turned back to Liam and put a finger to his lips, while Liam fought the urge to roll his eyes.

"Who'd have thought I had a knack for fighting?"

Liam stared at his hands as his mind drifted back to his childhood. It always tended to happen when he was asked about how it all started.

The happiest memories from his childhood were every spare moment spent with Isaac in his boxing hall. Liam loved his mother, but she worked too much for her own good and any time she spent at home was usually asleep. He didn't blame her for anything really, if she'd been more present in his life then it probably would've turned out very differently.

Isaac was like a father to him. He treated Liam like his own son, for he had no children of his own. Liam wasn't even aware that he had any family until one day he met Isaac's nephew, Niall.

Niall was even more scrawny than Liam was at that point, but he was scrappy and had a mouth on him that got him into heaps of trouble. Isaac was always smacking Niall upside the head for making rude jokes or taunting the adults, but he'd always ruffle Niall's hair afterwards.

As the years passed, Liam grew stronger and Isaac put more pressure on him to get better at boxing, and to stop picking fights just because he could. Niall started hanging around the hall as well, complaining at first that Isaac was teaching Liam and not him. But as Liam got better, Niall stopped whining and became more invested in helping get Liam trained.

"It'll be great! 'Liam Payne: Champion Boxer'. With me as your manager, we'll take over the world!" Liam remembered Niall babbling one day when they were fifteen.

"Who says you're my manager?" Liam quipped. Niall's smile didn't falter one bit.

"I do, of course. Who the bloody hell else would be?"

Liam brushed it off as a joke at that age, but as they grew up he realized that Niall had been completely serious. While Isaac had been training Liam to be a boxer, he'd been training Niall in the business that was boxing.

Soon, Niall was organizing all sorts of fights and doing publicity that left Liam somewhat astounded. He'd never figured Niall the type to actually be _good_ at this sort of thing. But as well as Liam fit into boxing, Niall fit into managing.

It wasn't until Liam and Niall were in their mid-twenties that things started to really take off. But just as Liam's career really started to move forward, Isaac fell ill and could no longer help him train.

"I can't do this without you," Liam cried as he and Niall sat at Isaac's bedside. Even in his weakened state, Isaac reached out to smack Liam upside the head.

"Don't be stupid," he croaked. "I'll be damned if you're going to waste your talents and my training."

"But-"

"Don't argue with me." Isaac began to cough and Niall jumped to his feet to fetch water while Liam sat by helplessly.

Isaac cleared his throat loudly, gasping for breath after he'd taken a long drink from the cup Niall gave him. Liam and Niall shared a look, both incredibly worried about the shell of a man lying before them.

"Listen to me, both of you." Isaac inhaled deeply. "I did not spend the last fifteen years of my life teaching you all I know just to have it squandered."

"Uncle-" Isaac grabbed Niall's wrist, silencing him.

"Don't interrupt." Isaac took another deep breath. "I want you to promise me that you'll take care of Liam. Keep him on the straight and narrow, yeah?"

Niall bit his lip, clasping Isaac's hand with his own as he fought to keep his composure. He nodded furiously, unable to form words.

"Liam," Isaac turned towards him and Liam's heart leapt into his throat. "Make me proud. Win a title, for chrissakes. We both know you've got it in you."

"Liam?" Crashing back to reality, Liam realized that he'd completely missed the interviewer's question.

"Sorry, repeat that?"

"Your current trainer, Zayn Malik? He's got you on a fairly tight regimen for the upcoming fight, yeah?"

"Oh, yeah." Liam swallowed harshly and chuckled. "Never stops badgering me, that one."

"Does your relationship get in the way at all?"

"Only when training doesn't go as well as he'd like. It's a bit hard to go home and complain about your trainer when he's also your boyfriend." Liam chuckled again, his eyes meeting Zayn's. He shook his head at Liam's comment, catching his tongue between his teeth in a smile.

The interviewer laughed softly and began her closing statement, to which Liam only paid mild attention. His eyes were on Zayn until she addressed him directly.

"Good luck on Sunday, Liam."

"Thanks, I'll do my best." Liam smiled, shaking her hand as he stood up. Niall walked over to him, congratulating him on an interview well done before Zayn had even risen from his seat.

A phone call pulled Niall away, and Liam smiled sheepishly at Zayn.

"You're a git." Zayn couldn't help laughing, even when he was trying to be serious.

"You've known that from the start," Liam replied as he stepped forward, putting his hands on either side of Zayn's face as he leaned in for a kiss.

"You're my git," Zayn said in a softer tone. Liam kissed him again and smiled as he pulled away.

"Absolutely." He grasped Zayn's hands, pulling him out of his seat finally.

"I'm going to make you pay for your comment," Zayn teased as they headed for the car that Niall had ordered for them.

"You always do."

"Shut up," Zayn mumbled. "You like it."

When they slid into the car, Zayn told the driver to take them to their normal training gym and Liam groaned.

"What? You need to train more."

"Can't we do it at home?" Liam asked, leaning his head close to Zayn's as he whispered, "Alone?"

"We'll be alone at the gym," Zayn said as he pushed Liam away.

"Not alone enough," Liam mumbled as he pressed himself against Zayn again. "You never strip for me at the gym."

Zayn bit his lip as he held back a chuckle, knowing exactly where Liam was going with his train of thought. "That's not part of your training and you know it."

"I think it worked well last night." Liam nipped at the tender skin of Zayn's neck. "We both got quite the workout."

"Be serious, Liam." Zayn tried to sound stern, but Liam could feel the heat rising in Zayn's skin and he smiled against his neck.

"Why? You're serious enough for the both of us."

A knock came at the window and Zayn quickly pressed the button, rolling it down to reveal Niall on the other side.

"What the bloody hell are you two still doing here? This car is by the hour, you know." Niall took a look at the pair and rubbed his face. "Y'know what, I don't want to know. Just get a move on, yeah?"

"Cheers, Niall." Zayn laughed as he rolled the window back up and turned back to the driver. "Take us-"

Liam whimpered softly and Zayn rolled his eyes. Despite his massive muscles and occasional menacing presence, Liam really was a teddy bear.

"Take us home," Zayn relented.

Liam did his best to keep his hands to himself on the drive home, he really did. It wasn't his fault that Zayn kept shifting in his seat and drawing attention to himself. His knee brushed against Liam's and Liam reacted instinctively, grabbing a hold of Zayn's knee at first and slowly sliding his hand up Zayn's thigh.

Zayn smacked his hand on top of Liam's, but it didn't do any good because Liam didn't pull away.

"Behave," Zayn hissed, trying so hard not to smile.

"Make me." Liam smiled at Zayn, who was still clutching at Liam's hand and preventing it from traveling further up his thigh.

"Keep it up, Payne." He chuckled. "And I'll make you sorry."

"That sounds like a challenge," Liam purred as he slid closer to Zayn.

Just as the car pulled up in front of their building, Zayn turned his head towards Liam and smirked. "Just you wait."

As soon as they were inside, Liam pulled Zayn into his arms and attached his lips firmly to Zayn's neck. His hands roamed over Zayn's clothed form, trying to pull them off even before they made it to the elevator. Zayn chuckled, letting Liam do as he pleased but didn't reciprocate as he normally would in this situation.

When they finally made it to the inside of their flat, Zayn fisted his hand in Liam's hair and pulled his head back. He smirked at Liam again, enjoying the desperate way Liam was staring at him.

"You've got a long way to go, love." He pushed Liam away, taking off his coat before turning around again. "Go on, get changed."

"Why don't you undress me?" Liam asked, his voice heavy.

"We've got training to do." Zayn shrugged. "Go on."

Liam groaned as he shuffled towards their bedroom, mumbling under his breath. Zayn snickered softly, secretly enjoying every minute of watching Liam get frustrated. He knew it was a cruel game to play, but he couldn't help himself.

Liam reappeared a few minutes later in a pair of gym shorts, his practice mitts around his neck. Zayn quirked an eyebrow at him as he noticed Liam's choice to forego putting a shirt on. Zayn would be lying if he said he minded, though.

"Right. Start your warm-up," he said offhandedly, turning his attention away from Liam as he walked over to the stereo on the other side of the room. He pretended not to notice Liam's quiet mocking as he began jumping rope.

Zayn set up their usual playlist, unable to keep a smirk off his face as he turned around and watched Liam. He reminded Liam to watch his breathing and to stay focused yet relaxed. He could tell all Liam really wanted to do was to tell him to sod off, but he remained silent apart from his breaths coming out in short bursts.

"Onto stretches now," Zayn said after ten minutes. As Liam obeyed, Zayn slipped his sweater over his head and tossed it aside. Liam gave him a quizzical look, but Zayn ignored it and urged him to continue stretching.

"Focus mitts." Zayn pulled his undershirt off, picking up mitts and smirking as Liam's eyes wandered over his bare chest. He smacked Liam's head playfully and gestured to Liam's mitts. "Come on."

"Y-Yeah," Liam mumbled as he pulled them on and started sparring with Zayn.

"Remember, love. Speed not power." Liam forced a chuckle, his brow furrowed in concentration. Zayn smiled, licking his lips as he admired the sweat that was starting to glisten on Liam's skin.

After three rounds, Zayn tossed the focus mitts aside and kicked off his shoes before taking a hold of the heavy bag hanging from the ceiling. Liam let out a deep breath, stretching his neck and rolling his shoulders before he started throwing punches at the bag.

"That's it, Liam." Zayn couldn't control his smile now and he knew he was pushing Liam's buttons. "Harder."

Liam grunted as he continued to hit the bag between himself and Zayn, who kept egging him on. It was a bit unprofessional when soft moans started to pour from Zayn's mouth, but then again he hadn't really planned on being all that professional to begin with.

"You're bloody distracting," Liam groaned as he leaned into the bag, inches away from Zayn's face.

"Dunno what you're on about." Zayn smirked. "On the ground. Push-ups."

Liam reluctantly did as he asked, and Zayn thought it was time to reward Liam for the hard work he'd done. Liam paused halfway through a push-up when he heard Zayn unbuckle his belt, his jeans falling to the floor a minute later.

"Ah, ah. Keep going."

Liam groaned but kept going, trying like hell to ignore the fact that he was growing harder as he pictured Zayn shedding his clothes. It became increasingly difficult when he felt Zayn's hands on his back, brushing against his skin just enough to tease.

"Zayn," he breathed out, shuddering at the touch.

"Not finished yet," Zayn whispered into his ear, his lips just barely brushing. Suddenly Zayn pressed his body against Liam's, resting his weight on him and making it harder for Liam to continue doing push-ups.

"Zayn-" Liam repeated as Zayn's hips pressed into him, and he felt Zayn's half-hard cock rub against him.

"Focus, Liam."

"You're making it hard." Liam let out a breathy chuckle.

"Am I?" Zayn teased, slipping his hand into Liam's shorts and ghosting his fingers over Liam's cock. "Oh, I am."

"F-Fuck," Liam moaned as his arms gave out under him and the pair tumbled to the ground. He immediately pulled Zayn off his back and under him, pressing their lips together in an earnest kiss.

Zayn kissed him hungrily, sucking on Liam's tongue as soon as it was in his mouth. Liam moaned again, grinding his hips against Zayn's in a desperate attempt for contact. Zayn fisted his hands in Liam's hair and moaned into his mouth, arching into Liam's touch.

"Roll over," Zayn gasped as he pulled away, pushing Liam onto his back before he quickly climbed on top of him. He started kissing down Liam's neck, across his chest while pausing to swirl his tongue around Liam's nipple and smirking when Liam groaned underneath him.

Zayn worked his way down, hooking his fingers along the band of Liam's shorts and pulling them down to reveal his cock. He looked up into Liam's eyes as he tentatively licked the head, teasing his tongue along the slit and earning more moans.

"Zayn," Liam begged. "Please."

"Told you I'd make you sorry," Zayn taunted before he pressed his tongue against Liam's cock, licking from the head to the base but not wrapping his mouth around it.

"Zayn- I- I _need_ it," Liam stuttered as his hips jerked every time Zayn's tongue brushed against him.

"In that case," Zayn mumbled, digging his fingers into Liam's thighs as he wrapped his lips around him. Liam moaned loudly as Zayn's mouth sunk lower onto him, his cheeks hollowing as his tongue rubbed against the underside.

A mixture of curses and praise spilled from Liam's mouth as he tangled his hands in Zayn's hair, pulling as he tried to keep from jerking his hips upward. Zayn let his jaw go slack as he practically swallowed Liam, moaning around him and driving Liam crazy.

Zayn wrapped a hand around himself, moaning again as he relieved some of the pressure he'd been feeling. He knew Liam was getting close, he could tell from the way his words were becoming less and less coherent.

"F-Fuck, Zayn- I- I-" Liam cried out as he came, and Zayn pulled off of him but jerked him through his orgasm. Liam stared down at Zayn as he caught his breath, his eyes falling on Zayn's hand still stroking himself.

He grabbed the back of Zayn's neck, pulling him up to kiss him as he pushed Zayn's hand away and wrapped his own hand around him. Zayn came moments later, his hips jerking into Liam's hand and gasping against Liam's mouth.

"See?" Liam said once their breathing slowed and they laid in each other's arms. "Perfect way to work out."

"You're an idiot," Zayn chuckled, pressing a kiss to Liam's neck. "Tomorrow you're doing the full workout."

"Tomorrow?" Liam said. "Why not tonight?" He wiggled his eyebrows and Zayn rolled his eyes.

"Not that workout, you nympho."

"Can't blame me for trying."

*

It was unusual for Liam to have trouble sleeping. He was always the first to fall asleep, and once he was asleep it was practically impossible to wake him up. There had only ever been one exception to his sleeping habits, and that was right after Isaac's death.

Both he and Niall took Isaac's death hard, but it hit Liam much harder. He hadn't just lost his mentor, he'd lost the only man he'd ever looked up to as a father figure. Liam just didn't know how to cope with the loss, and nobody seemed to be able to help him.

For days after Isaac's funeral, Liam avoided the practice hall. He couldn't even go near the street it was on without feeling like his chest was caving in. Niall didn't pressure him, and Liam took some comfort in the fact that he and Niall could share the burden of sorrow together.

But then Liam stopped being able to fall asleep. He'd lie awake at night, tossing and turning and _willing_ himself to sleep, but he couldn't. Hours were spent lying on his back and staring at the ceiling in the dark, because even though Liam couldn't sleep he didn't want to get out of bed.

After a week of restless nights, Liam finally told Niall. He also told him that he hadn't so much as picked up his mitts since Isaac died, and Niall nearly had a fit.

"Why didn't you tell me?!"

"Didn't see how it mattered," Liam mumbled.

"Of course it matters, Liam." Niall sighed, pulling Liam into a tight hug.

"W-We can't- _I_ can't do this without him," Liam sobbed into Niall's shoulder, suddenly breaking down in his arms.

"Shh, Liam." Niall held him tightly as Liam's body shook. "You can, and you will."

"What if I don't want to?" he whispered, almost too softly for Niall to hear.

But Niall did. Niall suddenly pushed Liam back, holding him at an arm's length so he could look Liam in the eyes. He surveyed the look on his face, tear-stained cheeks and eyes so wrecked with tiredness that Niall nearly started to cry himself.

"C'mon," Niall said as he started to pull Liam towards his living room. He didn't let go of Liam until they were both standing in front of the heavy bag hanging from the ceiling, and Niall was forcing Liam's mitts onto his hands.

"Niall, what-"

"You need this." He planted himself firmly behind the bag and started egging him on. "C'mon. Hit."

"Niall, I-"

"Liam," Niall said forcefully. "Hit the bloody bag."

Liam took a deep breath, half wanting to throw his mitts in Niall's face and storm off, but he didn't. He swung at the bag, not letting Niall's mild wince get to him as a surge of energy rushed through his body. He swung again, finding that he missed the slight pain that rippled through his fist when it connected with the bag. Liam kept swinging, and Niall held the bag in place as he cheered him on.

"Thanks," Liam said when his arms ached too much to even lift them, let alone keep swinging. Niall smiled as he helped Liam remove his mitts.

"Any time. We'll get through this, you and I." Liam smiled and nodded.

That night, Liam slept. He didn't sleep well, for his dreams were filled with torment and pain that made him even more upset when he woke up, but at least he slept.

After that day, Liam started working out again. He couldn't bring himself to return to Isaac's hall just yet, but at least he was slowly returning to boxing.

Liam didn't go back to the hall until the day he'd met Zayn, nearly two months after Isaac's funeral. He hadn't meant to end up there, but he went for a run in the early morning and had barely noticed that his feet had led him there until he was standing in front of the doors.

He entered the hall, trying to ignore the stunned looks from the other boxers who were practicing. He pretended not to hear their whispers as he walked to an empty ring and grabbed a pair of mitts that had been left there.

Liam put the mitts on, despite the fact that they were slightly too small, and stared at the bag in front of him. He closed his eyes, hearing Isaac's voice in his head.

_Win a title._

He opened his eyes again, and a moment later he found himself throwing punches at the bag. He ignored the flood of emotions that made his chest feel too tight, and concentrated on hitting the bag as hard as he could.

"You're going to hurt yourself," was the first thing that Zayn said to him.

Liam froze, not caring that the bag he'd been pummeling a minute before smacked him in the head as he turned to look at the man who'd interrupted him.

"I'm fine," he grunted as he resumed, tearing his eyes away from Zayn and trying to forget his presence altogether.

"Your form is off," Zayn commented as he came closer, leaning on the ropes of the ring. "You're not focused."

"My focus is fine," Liam snapped, and Zayn chuckled.

"Isaac said you'd be a handful at first."

Liam froze again at the mention of his name, and it was then that he realized that he'd been crying. He slumped down onto the floor and pressed his fists into his eyes, trying to push the tears back in.

He flinched when Zayn wrapped his arms around him, but Zayn didn't recoil. He held Liam tightly as his emotions finally overcame him and he wept openly. Zayn stayed there, gently rocking Liam back and forth while staying silent.

"I'm sorry," Liam croaked, trying to pull himself away. "I dunno what came over me."

"Don't apologize." Zayn loosened his grip, but didn't let go. "You have every right to be upset."

Liam forced a chuckle, still feeling incredibly foolish for crying his eyes out in front of a total stranger.

"Did you know him?" he asked softly.

"Only a little, towards the end." Zayn sighed. "He contacted me, saying you'd need me after he passed."

"Why?" Liam looked into Zayn's eyes, not understanding the connection.

"Niall's a shit trainer," Zayn remarked with a soft laugh. "I know he's your best mate but if this is what he lets you do then you should thank your lucky stars that Isaac called me."

"Y-You're a trainer?" Zayn smiled.

"I'm your trainer." His fingers lightly brushed over Liam's cheek, wiping away the trail of tears. "Now on your feet, we've got our work cut out for us."

That night, Liam slept better than he had in months.

*

The days leading up to his match were some of the longest days that Liam could remember. He and Zayn were constantly training, and Niall was practically a ghost because he spent so much time on the phone with promoters and the like. Liam loved his job, but he was starting to look more forward to when the fight was over so he could have a break and just spend some normal, quality time with Zayn.

They barely touched outside of when Liam was training, save for a few kisses here and there either in the morning or late at night when they were both too exhausted to do much else.

But despite the exhaustion, Liam was having trouble sleeping again. He couldn't sleep for more than an hour or two at a time, and it was starting to take its toll.

It started the week before the championship, Zayn and Liam were at the hall in the middle of training when Niall interrupted them to say Zayn had a visitor. He told Liam to keep going before he excused himself, and Liam had every intention of doing just that, until his eyes fell upon Zayn's visitor.

"Niall," he said, catching his attention before he'd left. "Who's that?"

"A trainer," Niall said, snapping his fingers as he tried to remember the name while keeping his eyes on his phone. "Harry something."

Liam tried not to stare, but he couldn't take his eyes off this strange man who seemed to know Zayn. A little too well, if Liam was being honest with himself, judging by the way Zayn greeted him.

His fists tightened when they hugged, and Liam found himself unable to breathe as he watched them talk. They were too far away for Liam to hear what was said, but he didn't need to hear their conversation to hate the way Harry was looking at Zayn.

When they suddenly turned in his direction, Liam forced a smile as Zayn waved to him. Harry didn't wave, but nodded his head instead. Any normal person wouldn't have felt threatened, but Liam was strangely jealous and Harry made his skin crawl.

He turned his attention back to his training, trying to concentrate on getting his form right while pushing thoughts of Harry and Zayn out of his mind. When Zayn returned, he asked Liam what was wrong.

"Nothing," he answered quickly, tensing when Zayn touched him.

"You sure?" Liam heard the worry in Zayn's voice, but refused to acknowledge it.

"I'm fine." He let out a breath and rolled his shoulders, cracking his neck before he spoke again. "Let's get back to training, yeah?"

Liam knew it was stupid to let this get to him, especially the week before a match, but he couldn't help it. He also couldn't help _not_ telling Zayn what was wrong. He knew that Zayn could tell something was wrong, but he just couldn't bring himself to admit that he was right.

The morning of the match, Liam woke up to an empty bed. He knew he hadn't slept all that long, because he remembered staring at the clock at 4 AM, the red numbers shining brightly back at his tired eyes. The fact that Zayn had managed to slip out during the few hours he'd actually slept annoyed Liam to no end. He frowned, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes before he noticed a small note on the pillow next to his.

_Had to run to the ring with Niall, be back as soon as I can –Z_

Liam sighed deeply as he collapsed back onto the bed, suddenly not wanting to get out of it at all. He wanted to hide under the covers and wait for Zayn to return, and then not let him ever leave again.

 _Stupid_ , he thought to himself. _Stupid, stupid, stupid_. He cursed himself for immediately wondering if Niall and Zayn had to meet with Harry, whoever this _Harry_ really was. He couldn't have been that important if Niall didn't bother to remember his last name, but Liam still hated him. For completely valid reasons, of course, he just didn't care to explain himself.

Sitting up in bed, Liam stretched for a moment before deciding to squeeze in a quick workout. He was supposed to be resting all day, saving his energy for the match later that night, but he knew as long as he was alone in their flat, he'd have to keep himself occupied in some other way than plotting Harry's death.

Liam rose from the bed, only to lie down on the floor a minute later and start doing sit-ups. He tried to clear his mind of all thoughts, focusing on his movements and breathing, but it didn't work all that well.

Liam continued his sit-ups until his face was drenched with sweat and his breaths were so heavy that he had to stop. He laid on the floor for a few minutes to catch his breath, trying to push his jealousy into the back of his mind where they belonged.

Liam picked himself up off the floor and shuffled to the bathroom, stripping his clothes off before he turned on his shower and let the water run hot. He stood underneath the spray, closing his eyes as the water splashed over his face and soothed his aching muscles.

He knew Zayn would yell at him if he'd found Liam doing sit-ups today of all days, but he couldn't really bring himself to care. He just wanted the whole fight over and done with, and go back to a normal life with Zayn.

It wasn't that he was particularly nervous about winning, Liam actually felt quite confident in his ability to beat the hell out of his opponent. Of the two, Liam was favored to win and he fully intended to live up to it.

"Don't get cocky now," Niall had told him after he'd learned of his opponent's name. Liam chuckled with a wry smile. "He's taken down many a lad larger than you."

"But never me," Liam answered. "Confidence, my dear Niall, will win me this match."

"That and excellent training," Zayn added.

Liam smiled at the memory, turning around in the shower as he lazily started to wash his hair. He took his time, having nothing in particular to rush him. Both Niall and Zayn had reminded him several times about when he had to be at the match, though he knew they'd be along to take him there anyway so it was a bit useless to tell him the same information over and over.

He slipped on a pair of old shorts after toweling off, shuffling into the kitchen to fix himself breakfast afterwards. Halfway through making an omelette, the front door to the flat opened and Liam heard Zayn's voice call out his name.

"In the kitchen," he answered. Zayn rounded the corner a moment later and smiled at him.

"Sleep well?" he asked as he stepped forward and laid a kiss on Liam's cheek.

Liam nodded. "Would've preferred waking up with you next to me."

"Sorry, love." Zayn sighed. "Niall was having a bit of a fit so I had to go straighten him out."

"Everything all right?" Liam asked as he plated his breakfast, noting that Zayn was eyeing it hungrily. Liam wanted to ask what Niall's fit was about, but he wasn't sure if he really wanted to know.

"Yeah, it's all been settled." He couldn't help snatching Liam's fork and grabbing a bite of the omelette before Liam could protest. "God, that's incredible."

"I can make you one," Liam offered with a tight smile. "Or you can have that one and I'll make another for myself."

"No, no, this one's yours. I just wanted a bite." Zayn smiled and Liam rolled his eyes, taking his fork back and starting to eat.

Zayn wrapped his arms around Liam's middle, pressing his chest to Liam's back as he breathed in deeply. Liam chuckled lightly as Zayn rubbed his nose along his neck.

"You smell good."

"Thanks." Liam turned his head and kissed Zayn, pulling back a moment later and sighing deeply. "You taste like cigarettes."

"Sorry," Zayn mumbled. "You know I get nervous before your matches, and-"

"Smoking calms you down," Liam finished with a soft smile, all previous thoughts of Harry suddenly having disappeared. "I know."

Liam finished his breakfast with Zayn pressed close against him, and afterwards they moved into the living room and laid on the couch together. Liam first, with Zayn draped over him with his head tucked under Liam's chin.

They didn't speak, but Liam felt so relaxed just holding Zayn that he preferred the silence. Zayn drew invisible lines on Liam's chest with his finger lightly, slightly tickling him but Liam didn't really mind. Eventually he felt himself nodding off, sleeping soundly underneath Zayn.

Liam woke up when Zayn's phone started to ring, and he groaned softly as he nudged Zayn to wake him up. He looked at Liam, his eyes bleary from sleep before he pulled his phone out of his pocket and silenced the ringer.

"Niall," he mumbled. He sighed heavily as he laid his head back down on Liam's chest. "Don't wanna answer."

"You know he'll keep calling until you do," Liam muttered before kissing the top of Zayn's head.

"Yeah, the bugger." Zayn groaned, pushing himself up and away from Liam before dialing Niall's number. He cursed harshly when Niall's loud voice carried through the speaker, causing Liam to laugh.

"Niall, for the love of God, quit yelling."

Liam glanced at the clock on the opposite side of the room as Zayn spoke to Niall, and he noticed that quite a few hours had passed since they'd last been awake. He figured Niall must've called to find out what they'd been doing all day, and vaguely wondered if this was not the first call he'd made.

"Yeah, yeah," Zayn mumbled into the phone. "Be down in a bit."

"Time already?" Liam asked.

"Afraid so, love. Go get your stuff, Niall's waiting for us."

Liam reluctantly got off the couch and went into their bedroom, quickly changing his clothes and picked his bag with his mitts and other assorted items before rejoining Zayn in the hall. Zayn linked their fingers together as he opened the door, pulling Liam towards the elevator.

After a stern talking-to from Niall, though it really made no impact on either Zayn or Liam, the ride was rather silent. Liam put his headphones in, taking Zayn's hand again as he closed his eyes and listened to his pre-fight playlist.

He expected press when they got to the hall, and they didn't disappoint. Niall and Zayn led him through, not letting him stop to answer questions he didn't really want to answer anyway. He focused on the music in his ears, letting it calm him as they walked inside.

Liam paused in front of a poster for the fight that was tacked up to the wall, and he chuckled as he looked at it. He could just make out Zayn in the background of his photo and he smiled fondly as Zayn came up behind him, taking one of his headphones out of his ear.

"You've got to get warmed up, Li."

"I know," he replied, looking at the photo of his opponent.

"Li-"

"What do you know about him?" Liam asked, turning away from the poster. "Louis Tomlinson?" Zayn chuckled, shrugging his shoulders lightly.

"I've heard some things."

"Tell me." Zayn shook his head.

"You know I don't like this."

"But you do it anyway," Liam replied with a smirk as he walked away from Zayn, starting his warm up. Zayn sighed loudly but complied with Liam's request.

It was a strange part of his pre-fight ritual, but Liam liked to learn about his opponents this way. Or maybe he just liked the sound of Zayn's voice. Either way, it had been working for him for years and he wasn't about to give it up.

Zayn told him Louis' stats, what other boxers he'd fought and whether he'd won or lost. Some of his wins surprised Liam, because he'd been in matches with most of the boxers that Zayn mentioned and quite a few of them were rather large guys for their weight class. Apparently Niall hadn't been lying when he told Liam not to underestimate Louis' size.

"You worried?" Liam asked, interrupting Zayn.

"About you?" Zayn chuckled. "Always."

"Think I can win?" Liam asked as he rolled his eyes.

Zayn smiled, pulling Liam's face to his own so he could kiss him. "No contest."

*

However Liam had expected the fight to go, he never would've expected it to begin the way it did. The loud cheering from the crowd, thousands of camera flashes nearly blinding him as he walked to the ring, Niall constantly shaking him as he chattered excitedly; these were all normal.

Zayn squeezed his hand tightly before he entered the ring, and Liam was still smiling at that point. It was only when he turned around and looked at the opposite corner that the blood immediately drained from his face and his smile turned into a frown.

It had nothing to do with his opponent, Louis, but rather the man standing next to him. His trainer. _Harry_.

Liam tried to recover, but his skin felt like it was on fire and he wanted nothing more than to cross the ring and beat the living shit out of Harry instead of Louis. He nearly jumped a foot in the air when Zayn laid a hand on his arm.

"You're going to be fantastic," he said loud enough for Liam to hear him over the crowd. Liam forced himself to smile back at Zayn, even though he kind of wanted to punch him as well.

Liam forced himself to remain calm as the referee called both he and Louis forward to begin the match. He tried not to glare at Louis, for none of this was his fault, but he knew when their gloves touched that he'd put a bit too much force behind his own.

 _Sorry mate, but I'm about to make you wish you'd never been born,_ Liam thought to himself as he and Louis looked at each other. He felt bad about the fact that he was about to take his anger at Zayn out on Louis, but there wasn't much else he could do about it.

The rounds seemed to flash by in the blink of an eye, at least for Liam. Both Zayn and Niall were on the edge of their seats, figuratively of course for both were as close to the ring as allowed, praying for the best but preparing for the worst.

After the fourth round, Zayn grabbed Liam's arm the second he sat down and looked at him worriedly.

"You need to take it easy or you're going to tire yourself out too quickly," he said into Liam's ear. Liam knew he was right, but his adrenaline was pumping far too much for him to pay much attention to his words. His eyes were fixed on Harry across the way, who was busy attending to Louis.

Liam had to admit that he hadn't expected Louis to put up such a fight, but even his brawler tactics weren't enough to overpower Liam in the end.

Louis went down hard several times, occasionally so hard that Liam wasn't sure if he would be able to get back up. He tried not to let it get to him, though he always felt a bit guilty after hitting someone so hard they actually couldn't get back up on their own.

He picked himself back up before the referee counted to ten, but Liam could see in Louis' eyes that he was fighting a losing battle. They retreated to their corners, Zayn immediately giving him water and gingerly wiping his wounds with a towel.

"What he lacks in size he makes up for in power," Liam chuckled, wincing as his lip split open again and began to bleed.

"Don't laugh, you git," Niall huffed. "You're making it worse."

"You're brilliant," Zayn whispered in his ear. "He won't last much longer."

Liam eyed Louis across the ring. He was breathing heavily, talking to Harry and shaking his head repeatedly. If he hadn't been staring directly at them, he might've missed it, but Liam swore he saw Harry press a kiss to the side of Louis' head.

Somehow, Liam knew as soon as he stood up that the tenth round was going to be the last.

Louis' swings were slower, and Liam took the open opportunity to make his move. When he knocked Louis down again, this time he didn't get back up.

What happened immediately after the end of the fight was a blur for Liam. It felt like his world was spinning around him so fast that he couldn't focus on anything until he was alone.

He had won. He'd been training for so long and now it was all over, and he'd won. He'd kept his promise to Isaac; he'd won a title.

Liam was so overcome with the feeling of actually winning that all previous thoughts of Harry and Zayn had disappeared. It was as if none of it had happened, as if Liam was just another fighter who was eager to celebrate a victory.

After he was cleaned up and his wounds dressed, a small press conference was held outside of the hall. Liam answered questions about the match, said polite things about Louis and couldn't help but smile during the whole thing.

Zayn and Niall stood off to the side, both beaming proudly. Liam tried to keep his eyes off Zayn and answer the questions being posed, but he couldn't help it. Unfortunately, he was staring at Zayn when Harry appeared by his side.

Liam's smile slowly faded and his shoulders tensed when Zayn's eyes were drawn away from him as Harry spoke into his ear. But then a reporter asked Liam, "What do you intend to do next?"

"I dunno," Liam answered, barely thinking about anything other than getting Zayn's attention back on him. "Maybe I'll retire."

Whatever the reporter had expected him to say in reply, that was most certainly not it. Nobody had expected that, and the entire room fell silent. Liam's eyes quickly darted to Zayn, who was staring at him open-mouthed. Niall immediately strode over to him and said the conference was over, quickly pulling Liam away from the flashes of cameras and hundreds of questions that were now pouring in from all the other reporters.

"Are you mad? You don't just casually say you're going to retire!" Niall yelled once they were away from the media.

"Why not?" Liam replied, his head swimming with residual anger from seeing Harry again. "It's not a half bad idea."

"Half bad i-" Niall groaned loudly. "It's a shit idea!"

"Why?" Liam asked again.

"Be-Because you're too good, Liam! It'd be a waste!"

"For who? For me, or for you?" Niall opened his mouth to argue, but shut it again and started shaking his head.

"No, no, we are not having this conversation. That is not what this is about."

"Then what is it?" Niall threw his arms up in frustration and huffed loudly.

"You tell me! You're the one who started this!"

"I don't know, all right? Maybe I just need some peace and quiet!"

"So then tell me! Don't announce to the bloody world that you're going to retire!"

"I didn't-" Liam groaned, feeling even more stupid than he had before. It was quite possible that he'd just managed to overshadow his victory because he was jealous of man he'd never even spoken to. "It just came out, all right? I didn't mean it."

"Right," Niall replied with a heavy sigh. "Look, I'll handle this. Just, go spend some time with Zayn and try not to ruin your career anymore, yeah?"

"Yeah," Liam answered. Niall stepped forward and embraced Liam, holding him tightly for a moment.

"I'm proud of you, you stupid git. Don't ever forget that." Liam laughed hoarsely as Niall pulled away.

"Never."

Zayn was waiting outside the door for Liam after Niall left, staying silent as Liam slowly walked towards him. Normally after a match Liam wouldn't want to do anything except go home and go to bed, holding Zayn close to him as they fell asleep.

"Ready to go?" Zayn asked softly, eyeing Liam like he wasn't sure what to make of him after the events of the night. Liam wrapped his arms around Zayn and pressed his face into Zayn's neck, sighing against his skin.

"Let's go out and celebrate," he suggested, suddenly wanting to do something, _anything_ to get him to forget about his jealousy.

"What?" Zayn asked with a slight chuckle.

"Come on, we never celebrate after my matches."

"We do too," Zayn protested. "But you're always so exhausted-"

"I'm not tonight," Liam interrupted. "I wanna go out."

Zayn groaned softly, but eventually agreed. He and Liam made their way to a club a few blocks away from the hall, and Zayn hoped that the paparazzi wouldn't follow.

He couldn't deny that there was something off about Liam that night, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. At first he brushed it off as leftover stress about the fight, but Liam usually didn't let things get to him. He'd done well in working out his frustrations in training and in matches, so nothing ever really weighed him down.

Even when something was bothering Liam, he usually would tell Zayn about it. It was nothing to brag about, but out of the two Zayn was usually far more secretive about his emotions. The only emotion he really had no trouble sharing was his love for Liam.

He stood by and watched as Liam ordered drinks, trying to gauge what Liam was thinking based on his body language and the look on his face. Despite his swollen lip and the bruises on his cheeks, Liam was smiling. Yet there was something in the way he smiled that made Zayn uneasy.

"You sure you're okay?" Zayn asked when Liam handed him a drink.

"Yes, Zayn," Liam answered with a roll of his eyes. "Are you? You should be happy, we won!"

"You won," Zayn corrected. Liam cupped Zayn's face and gently brushed their lips together.

"We won," he repeated.

Zayn smiled, letting Liam pull him onto the floor and press his body flush against Zayn's. Liam let his hands wander over Zayn's body, but instead of going along with it as he did whenever Liam touched him, Zayn stiffened. He wasn't used to seeing this Liam out in public, he preferred it when they were alone and away from prying eyes.

"Liam," he said gently with a soft laugh. "People are staring."

"So? They're jealous," Liam said as his lips connected with Zayn's neck. Zayn's eyes fluttered shut at the contact, but his mind wasn't letting him enjoy it. He couldn't shake the worried feeling deep inside, and he desperately wanted to know why Liam was acting this way.

"Liam, come on," he tried to push Liam back but his grip tightened. Liam lifted his head and looked at Zayn strangely.

"What? Am I not allowed to touch you in public?"

"It's not that, love." Zayn stroked the side of Liam's face, mindful to watch the bruises. "It's just-"

"Just what? Why can't I celebrate tonight by touching you?"

"This isn't like you, Liam." Zayn sighed softly. Liam let out a deep breath, letting go of Zayn for the first time since they left the hall.

"I just want to remember this moment," he mumbled. "It might-"

"Might what? Be the last time we celebrate you winning?" Zayn snapped. A flash of hurt spread across Liam's face and Zayn cursed himself.

"Not you too," he groaned. "Niall already reamed me out for the retirement comment, and-"

"As he should, Li. It was stupid."

"Why?" Liam's voice grew louder. "Why does everyone think it's such a terrible idea?"

"Because it is, Liam!" Zayn shouted angrily, suddenly drawing a lot more attention to them than he wanted. "Not just for you, but for me too," he mumbled.

"Why?" Liam demanded. Zayn shook his head and started backing away from Liam.

"I'm not doing this here," he snapped as he walked away, pushing his way through the crowd around them and leaving the club entirely. Liam followed him after a minute, finding Zayn outside in the alley desperately trying to light a cigarette.

"Is that all you care about? The work you've put in with me?" Liam felt betrayed, he couldn't bear the thought that neither Niall nor Zayn really cared about him.

"Don't do that," Zayn cried, shaking his head and refusing to meet Liam's eyes as he gave up on the lighter in his hands. "Don't you dare put that on me."

"Then what is it?" Zayn shook his head again, choking back a sob.

"I don't know. I don't know what's gotten into you. I don't know who you are and what's happened to the Liam I love."

"I'm right here!" Liam found himself yelling, and he hated himself when he caused Zayn to flinch at the sound. Zayn took a deep breath and looked directly into Liam's eyes before he spoke.

"Then why do you want to throw away everything we've built? Everything you've worked so hard for?"

"Because I'm fucking terrified of losing it. Losing you, losing everything. It could all be gone in a flash," Liam's voice grew softer as his anger melted away and was replaced with panic.

"Wh- Liam-" Liam held up his hand to keep Zayn from speaking. He took a deep breath and rubbed his face, suddenly feeling tired.

"I've been so stupid," he grumbled under his breath. Zayn blinked, completely floored by Liam's statement.

"What do you mean?"

"I thought-" Liam sighed angrily. "I don't even know what I thought. All I know is that when I saw you and that, that _Harry_ together I just-" He sighed again and groaned loudly. "I just lost it."

"Me and-" Zayn's head was spinning. "Harry?" He tried to keep from laughing, but he didn't know what else to do. "Harry fucking Styles?"

"Don't laugh at me, Zayn." Liam's voice turned angry again and Zayn quickly stopped laughing.

"I'm sorry, Li, it's just- Harry?" He blinked. "Were you jealous?"

"No," Liam said through gritted teeth. "Yes," he mumbled a minute later.

"Oh, Liam." Zayn shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose as he sighed deeply. "No wonder you beat the shit out of Louis. You were _jealous_."

"Shut up, I already feel like an idiot." Liam crossed his arms, staring at the ground. Zayn crossed the space between them, taking Liam's face in his hands.

"You have nothing to be jealous of, Liam." Zayn sighed, trying to get Liam to look at him. "I love you."

"I love you too," Liam mumbled, still too embarrassed to look at Zayn.

"Besides-" Zayn paused to chuckle, "Harry's taken."

"Louis?" Liam asked. Zayn nodded. "Bet Harry hates me, then."

"I'll admit, he's not your biggest fan." Zayn let out a breathy chuckle and Liam finally met his eyes. Zayn pressed a gentle kiss to Liam's lips and sighed. "Is that why you threatened to retire?"

"Maybe," Liam mumbled again. "Really I just said it because I was angry."

"You're an idiot," Zayn said with a gentle laugh. "My idiot." Liam clung to Zayn, feeling drained from all the fighting that had occurred that night. "Let's get you home, yeah?"

"Yeah," Liam forced himself to say, refusing to let go of Zayn.

Due to Zayn's outburst inside, a small crowd of paparazzi had gathered at the entrance of the club. Zayn and Liam did their best to ignore their questions about the spat inside, but they wouldn't relent.

Liam nearly snapped, trying to pull away from Zayn to push one man's camera away from them with much more force than was necessary. Zayn was able to keep a hold of him, murmuring calming words into Liam's ears to prevent him from causing serious damage to the photographer and his reputation.

They quickly jumped into a taxi, hoping they would make it back to their flat before the press flocked there as well. Zayn continued to whisper soothingly to Liam as they sat in the back of the taxi, arms wrapped around each other. Zayn knew they'd be getting a call from Niall early in the morning about their public argument, so he was doing his best to calm Liam down tonight and worry about the rest tomorrow.

The front of their building was luckily deserted when they arrived, and the pair hurried inside to ensure they would not be bothered again tonight.

Zayn expected Liam to want to crawl into bed the second they stepped through the door, but instead he leaned against the wall near the door and didn't move until Zayn gently nudged him.

"Li?" he said softly. "Wanna go to bed?"

"No," Liam mumbled as he started taking off his jacket.

"Want something to eat?" Zayn was reaching, he knew they didn't have anything in the kitchen that he'd actually be able to make. Liam shook his head as he kicked off his shoes, staring at the floor.

Zayn sighed softly, turning away from Liam with the intent on heading towards their bedroom when Liam's hand closed around his wrist. He turned his head around to look at Liam, who was finally looking back at him.

"I want you," he said in a low voice. Zayn smiled at him fondly and turned to face Liam, stepping between his legs as he cupped the side of Liam's face and kissed him.

"You have me," he replied, only slightly pulling away from Liam.

"No," Liam mumbled before he kissed Zayn again. "I _want_ you."

Liam's hand let go of Zayn's wrist as he suddenly grabbed his hips and pulled Zayn flush against him, eliciting a soft gasp from Zayn's lips. Liam kissed Zayn hungrily, no longer caring about the fact that his lip had split again and he could taste blood.

He pushed away from the wall, keeping Zayn against him as they moved into the living room, miraculously managing to not trip on their way. Zayn moaned into Liam's mouth as he felt Liam's rough fingers under his shirt, tugging on his belt to loosen it from around his hips.

Zayn gasped again when his back suddenly hit a hard surface, and he opened his eyes to see that Liam had pinned him against the window in their living room. He turned his head while Liam started sucking at his neck, his fingers still working on getting Zayn's trousers off, and Zayn felt a mild twinge of panic about the fact that anyone on the street could look up and see them.

"Liam-" he started to protest, but words failed him when Liam lifted him up onto the windowsill and pressed his fingers against his lips, urging them into his mouth and Zayn started to suck them.

"I need to fuck you," Liam breathed into his ear and Zayn moaned around his fingers. He felt Liam's erection press against his leg and the sensation made Zayn's entire body shudder. His hands fell to Liam's belt, fumbling to pull it open and push Liam's trousers down.

Liam pulled his fingers from Zayn's mouth, using one hand to pull Zayn's hips towards him while the other brushed against his entrance. Zayn jerked when Liam slowly pushed one slick finger inside of him, his erection growing harder and aching to be touched.

Zayn slipped his hand between them to wrap his fist around himself, but Liam bit down hard on the tendon of his neck and Zayn lost all control of his body. Liam slid another finger inside of him, pushing further in and grazing his prostate to make Zayn moan.

"Keep your hands to yourself, yeah?" Liam grunted in Zayn's ear and Zayn nodded shakily, fisting his hands in Liam's shirt in a desperate attempt for contact.

Liam moaned as he slipped a third finger inside Zayn, his own cock twitching as he felt Zayn tighten around his fingers. Zayn's grip tightened on him and he whined, grinding down on Liam's hand as he buried his head into Liam's neck.

"Fuck, Li- I need- _god just fuck me._ "

Zayn whimpered softly when Liam pulled his fingers out of him. He wrapped his hand around his own cock, mixing the remnants of Zayn's saliva with his own precome to prepare himself for Zayn. Liam slowly pushed against Zayn's hole, listening to Zayn's sharp intakes of breath and trying like hell not to hurt him.

"Zayn," Liam moaned. "You're so fucking tight," he grunted.

"Just keep going," Zayn choked out. He was panting heavily, clutching Liam tightly as he tried to relax. Liam kept going until he was all the way in, and then he started moving his hips against Zayn just enough to continuously hit his prostate.

Zayn started moaning uncontrollably, a litany of curses and praises falling from his mouth as Liam fucked him. His cock was aching, trapped between them with only a slight amount of friction to ease it.

"F-Faster, Li-" Zayn moaned, desperate for more. "Need to come."

Liam started thrusting harder, pulling his hips further back and slamming back into Zayn with a quicker rhythm before wrapping his hand around Zayn's cock. He moaned loudly at the sudden contact, his hips jerking into Liam's hand while simultaneously grinding down against his cock.

"Feels so good, Z." Liam sloppily attached his lips to Zayn's, their teeth clacking as they both moaned into each other. Zayn sucked on Liam's tongue as he let go of his shirt, tangling his fingers in Liam's hair as he felt himself start to come.

"Liam, Liam, oh _fuck_ -" Zayn threw his head back and moaned loudly as he spilled into Liam's hand. Liam stroked him through his orgasm, his hips still pounding into Zayn's as he worked towards his own release.

Liam groaned loudly as he came, letting go of Zayn's cock and slamming his hands against the window behind them to steady himself. He rocked into Zayn, riding the last few waves of his orgasm before he pulled out and buried his head against Zayn's chest.

Zayn regained his normal breathing pattern first, chuckling with mild disgust when he glanced at Liam's hand against the window. It was covered in his come, but Liam didn't seem to care that he'd smeared it all over the glass.

"I'm not cleaning that up," he whispered into Liam's ear, smiling when he heard Liam chuckle. He lifted his head and pressed his lips against Zayn's, smiling as he pulled away.

"I'll do it, after I clean you up."

"I like the sound of that," Zayn replied, kissing Liam again. Liam winced slightly, finally feeling something other than absolute lust, and the realization that his lip is full on bleeding kind of ruins the mood.

"Sorry," Liam mumbled as he brushed the blood away from Zayn's lips. Zayn caught Liam's hand and kissed it before he stroked the side of Liam's face lovingly.

"Maybe we should clean you up instead, _Rocky_." Liam's lips twitched upwards in a smile at the nickname. He gently picked Zayn up and carried him to their bathroom, only slightly tripping over his trousers on the floor.

Half an hour later, they were in bed with the covers pulled tightly around them and Zayn was gently stroking Liam's hair. Liam's eyes were closed, but he was willing himself not to fall asleep just yet.

"Liam?" Zayn said softly.

"Yeah?" he mumbled in reply, shifting slightly in Zayn's arms.

"I'd be okay with you retiring…if it's what you really want."

Liam chuckled softly, lifting himself up on his elbows so he could stare down at Zayn with a fond smile.

"Maybe in a few years. Gotta give Louis another shot, yeah?"

"You're an idiot," Zayn chuckled. Liam leaned down and brushed his lips over Zayn's, careful not to split his open again.

"As long as you're around to pick me back up, I'll be okay."

Zayn smiled widely and pulled Liam back down, holding him tightly. Liam sighed deeply, feeling like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He could lose every match from now until retirement, and it would be okay as long as Zayn was around.

"Liam?" Zayn spoke up again, and Liam grunted in response, slightly annoyed because he had been minutes away from finally falling asleep.

"You didn't clean the window."

**Author's Note:**

> [my tumblr](http://imlouisaf.tumblr.com)


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